Card holder



June 5, 1923. L457$$5 l. F. DINSMORE CARD HOLDER Filedjune 23 1922 INVENTOR A'ITORNEY Patented dame 5, 1923.

entree stares WALTER F. DINBHOEE, 61? EAST ORANGE, NEW Jr,

insists rarest cornice.

' EY, ASSIGNQR T l) R. E. POLK Qt CQMPANY, ENG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 05 NW YQEIK.

CARD HQLJDEE.

Application filed June 28, 1922. serial Ho. 570,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, War/ran F. DINsMoRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Card Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card holders designed particularly for use by census enumerators, and same has for its primary object the provision of a device of this character having means for the support andtemporary retention of the customary registrar cards of the kind employed for an ofiicial' census enumeration, the device being so designed and constructed that will permit of its being conveniently carried and temporarily employed as a desk or writing surface at the time of filling out the cards and for arranging the cards in regular order so that after the desired information is obtained, the cards can be readily shifted from one position upon the device to another position thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be strong, durable, of light weight and inexpensive of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character includin a board having a plurality of card-holding units mounted to co-act with means for holding said units against accidental loss or derangement when the device is carried and P further coacting with said means so that the units, together with the cards supported thereby can be quickly removed from. the device when desired.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangements of parts which will hereinafter be fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

lln the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

Figure 1 is a front view of the device.

Figure 2 is a section takensubstantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the card-holding units.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the latch plate for the units.

In carrying the invention into practice, I employ a board 5 preferably constructed of aluminum. Extending longitudinally of'the board and suitably secured thereto isa latch plate 6, the same subdividing the board into a broad section 7, and a somewhatnarrow section 8. Between the ends of the section 8, the board is provided with a hand hold or grip 9 whereby the board can be conveniently carried from place to place while held in a vertical osition with the board section 7 extending ownward.

The latch plate 6 is formed from a single piece of sheet material bent along its edges to provide flanges 10 and 11, the same being spaced from the bod portion of the plate as clearly shown in igures 2 and 4a, of the drawing. The flange 10 is provided with a longitudinal series of ll-shaped notches 12, the same being preferably arranged in pairs and disposed in horizontal alignment with similar notches 13, formed in the flange 11. The notches 13, are likewise rouped in pairs for a purpose to be herelnafter explained. The notches 12 and 13 respectively open on to the longitudinal edges of said flanges 10 and 11 and as illustrated, each air of notches 12 is separated by a projectmg portion 14 of the flange 12.

onnected with the latch plate 6, are cardholding units 15, each of which is formed of spring wire bent to rovide a foot 16, side branches 17-47 and spring legs 18--18. The legs are provided with base lugs 19. Each of these card-holding units is adapted to mate with two of the slots 12 and two of the slots 13. The foot 16 is adapted to engage beneath the portion 14 between the slots 12 of each pair so that the legs 18 extend upward from these slots and through the same as shown in Figure 2. The spring legs 18 extend downward into the slots 13 and the lugs 19 engage beneath the flange 11 as also shown in Figure 2. As these units are formed of stifi spring wire, the normal tendency of the legs 18-18 is to spring apart from the branches 17-17. In this manner, the lugs 19 are firmly held against accidental disengagement from the flange 11. In order to further insure retention of the lugs 19 heneath said flange 11, I employ a sliding keeper plate 20, the same mounted to slide on the plate 6, directly at one side of the flange 11. When the keeper is ad usted to one position, the flange 21 thereof extends across the open sides of the slots 13 so as to revent escape of the lugs 19 from beneath the aforesaid flange 11. When the keeper is adjusted to a second position, the notches in the flange 21 may be brought into registration with the slots 13 so as to permit the card-holding units to be removed from the device.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the device is capable of holdin in a compact manner several stacks of cards, and that in the filling out of these cards the same can be shifted upon the units to occupy positions upon the broad portion 7 of the board The cards can be turned upon the units as the former are'filled out and temporarily made to occupy positions u on'the narrow portion 8, of the board. his is for the convenience of the enumerator when filling out the cards. The cards (A) herein illustrated are of the usual kind employed for the purpose mentioned and they are perforated at (B) so as to be accommodated by the legs 18-18 of the card-holding units.

After the cards have been filled out the card-holding units together with their supported cards can be removed from the board and interchangeably connected with a similar board that can be used for checking purposes or by a printer when the data borne by the cards is to be arranged in printed form.

The hand hold or grip 9 is defined by a thumb-shaped slot in the board 5 and same is adapted to receive the thumb of the operator in the manner of using an artists pallet the thumb of the left hand of the operator being extended through said slot and pressed against the upper surface of the board Wall, the remaining fingers are manipulated against the under surface of the board so as to form a support for the latter when filling out the cards (A). Where I have referred to slots or notches 12 and 13, in the latch plate 6, I of course do not care to limit myself in this respect and obvious changes in the construction of the device can be made without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is 1. A. device of the character described comprising a board provided with a latch member, the latch member having flanges spaced apart and each provided with a pair of notches, the notchesof one flange bein arranged in alignment with the notches o the other flange, and a card-holding unit detachably associated with said latch plate and consisting of a single piece of springy wire bent to provide a foot, a pair of branches extending from the foot, a pair of le extending from the branches, the sai foot adapted to enga e beneath one of said flanges at a point %etween the notches thereof, the said branches ada ted to extend through said notches, the egs adapted to extend through the notches of the other of said flanges, and lugs formed on said legs and adapted to engage under said other flange.

2. A device of the character described comprising a board provided with a latch member, the latch member having flanges spaced apart and each provided with a pair of notches, the notches of one flange being arranged in alignment with the notches of the other flange, and a card-holding unit detachably associated with said latch plate and consisting of a single piece of springy wire bent to provide a foot, 2. pair of branches extending from the foot, apair of legs extending from the branches, the said foot adapted to enga e beneath one of said flanges at a point etween the notches thereof, the said branches adapted to extend through said notches, the legs adapted to extend through the notches of the other of said flanges, lugs formed on said legs and adapted to engage under said other flange, and a sliding keeper mounted on the latch device adjacent to said other flange and serving when adjusted to one position to close said notches and when adjusted to a second position to uncover said notches, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a substantially rectangular board provided near one of its longitudinal edges with a hand hold, and a plurality of card-holding units detachably connected with said board between the sides thereof.

4. A device of the character described comprising a board provided with a hand hold near one of its edges, a latch plate extending in the length of the board and a plurality of card-holding units detachably connected with said latch plate.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WALTER F. DINSMORE. 

